It is so easy for us to see our circumstances and allow fear to govern us. We worry over what we see, and we fear what we do not see. But we must remember that when God is involved, there are only promises, not maybe's... He is never in doubt about what He is doing in our lives and in the world around us; The things that we fear are not the reality of our existence. When trials draws near, the people of God need to lean in to the Father. Rather than giving in to the hysteria of the world, instead of allowing the panic that drives those without hope to have control of our emotions, rather than being ruled by what others say could happen, we are commanded to trust our God. We are called to believe that whatever He says is MORE real than what we can see, more substantial than what we can perceive, more present than the moment in which we are caught. We are permitted the great and inspiring privilege of living with the hope of God's promise. And that promise says that we are safer in His hand than anywhere else. That promise reminds us that nothing is random, that nothing is accidental, that our living God, our loving Father is the master of the very thing that we fear! And this truth means that our circumstantial fear is pointless. The only thing we are to fear is our God, for He holds our days in His omnipotent hand. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, it is to trust God, it is to know that no matter what, God is exactly who He says He is. This is why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And the fear of the Lord is the most empowering truth we can ever lay hold of, for when we fear God, we need fear NOTHING else! So, after the trial has past, we stand and know that though thousands fall around us, we remain, safe in the hand of our Sovereign God.